Category Archives: Corsican Names

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I thought at the beginning of each month, I would post a list of names associated with the that particular month. Below is a list of names I have previously written about associated with January

Agnes: January 21st is the feast of St. Agnes and according to folklore, on January 20th, which John Keats’ was inspired to write a poem about, unmarried girls are supposed to see a future glimpse of their husband in their dreams the night before, provided they do not eat that day.

Frost: January is often associated with cold temperatures and frosty weather. Here are some name associated with frost

Sarma, Sarmite: These 2 Latvian lovelies come directly from the Latvian word for hoarfrost. The latter is pronounced sar-MEE-teh.

Kirsi: This Finnish female name is associated with the cherry fruit but also means “frost” in Finnish.

Other names that mean “frost” or words for frost from other languages include:

Likewise, Carnation is the birthflower, its Latin name is Dianthus, which was a name before it was a flower. Below is a list of words from other languages that mean “carnation” and would make awesome names. Also mixed in are some names with the meaning of “carnation” or just have carnation associations

The name is derived from the Greek Ανδρεασ (Andreas), which is derived from the Greek word, ανδροσ (andros), a genitive form of the word, ανηρ (aner), meaning, “man.” Hence, it would rougly translate to mean “belonging to man” or “of man.”

It was popularized by one of the twelve Apostles, who is now considered a popular Christian saint. It is suggested that Andreas was a nickname given to him, or possibly just a direct Greek translation of a Hebrew name that had a similar meaning, now lost to history.

Saint Andrew is considered the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania. According to legend, he was martyred around the Black sea on an X shaped cross. His designated name-day is November 30.

The name has remained a staple in the U.S. top 100. As of 2011, he was the 16th most popular male name. His rankings and his various incarnations in other countries are as follows:

Note: Andrea is a common feminine form in most European countries outside of Italy and Albania, particularly in Germany and the Anglo-phone world. Whether this is a borrowing from the Italian and was changed, or a coincidental evolution, is unknown. What is known is that Andrea has been used in England as a feminine form since the 17th-century.

Today is St. Nicholas Day! So, I thought, what a perfect opportunity to blog about the name Nicholas and all his myriad variations.

This is an update of a post I wrote three years ago in December. I thought I would rerun it with some updates.

The name is derived from the Greek, Νικόλαος, (Nikolaos), which is composed of the Greek words νικη (níkē), meaning, “victory” and λαὸς (laos), meaning, “people.” λαὸς (laos) could also derive from the Greek root word, λας (-las) as in “λα-τομεῑο“, which means, “stone” “rock”, as in Greek mythology it was believed that all humans were formed from the stones that Deucalion and Pyrrah threw over their shoulders as they were running.

In the post-Christian world, the name Nicholas was popularized through the cult of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia, (the inspiration for the modern-day Santa Claus). He was known for his acts of charity toward the poor, the most popular story being that he saved a local poor man’s daughters from lives of prostitution by dropping gold nuggets down the man’s chimney so that the man could pay for his debts instead of selling his daughters.

St. Nicholas is a very popular saint in both the Eastern and Western Churches.

The name was introduced into England in the form of Nicholas, though the sans H version has also its share of usage in the Anglophone world. Nicholas first came into usage in England around the 12th-century and remained common even through the period of the Reformation. Currently, Nicholas is the 42nd most popular male name for boys in the United States, (2011). His rankings in all his various forms in other countries are as follows:

# 1 (Nika/Nikoloz(i), Georgia, 2011)

# 3 (Nikola, Macedonia, 2006)

# 3 (Nikola, Serbia, 2011)

# 5 (Nikolay, Bulgaria, 2009)

# 5 (Nikolaos, Greece, 2010)

# 6 (Nicolás, Argentina, 2009)

# 9 (Nicolás, Columbia, 2011)

# 9 (Nicolás, Mexico, 2011)

# 15 (Nicholas/Nick/Nicholai/Nicoló, Malta, 2011)

# 16 (Mikołaj, Poland, 2009)

# 22 (Nicolò, Italy, 2010)

# 22 (Nicolas, Spain, 2010)

# 24 (Niklas, Austria, 2010)

# 27 (Nikola, Croatia, 2009)

# 29 (Nicolas, Belgium, 2008)

# 31 (Nikolaj, Denmark, 2011)

# 36 (Australia, NSW, 2011)

# 36 (Canada, BC, 2010)

# 45 (Nikolai, Norway, 2011)

# 51 (Nicolas, Catalonia, 2010)

# 56 (Nicolas, Austria, 2010)

# 69 (Nicolas, France, 2010)

# 72 (Miklós, Hungary, 2011)

# 75 (New Zealand, 2010)

# 82 (Nikola, Slovenia, 2010)

# 93 (Niklas, Norway, 2011)

# 94 (Nikola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2010)

# 168 (Nicolas, United States, 2011)

# 181 (Scotland, 2010)

# 332 (Nicolaas, Netherlands, 2011)

# 451 (Nicolas, Netherlands, 2011)

# 473 (Nikolas, United States, 2011)

# 550 (Nickolas, United States, 2011)

# 639 (Nikolai, United States, 2011)

Other forms of the name include the following, (divided alphabetically by linguistic origin):

Latinate FormsVariations used in Latin languages

Micolau (Catalan)

Nicolau (Catalan/Galician/Occitanian/Portuguese)

Niculaiu (Corsican)

Nicoty (Brusseler: a French dialect)

Colin (French: originally a diminutive form, now used exclusively as an independent given name, not to be confused with the Celtic Colin/Collin which has a completely different etymology and pronunciation)

Claus/Claas/Klaas/Klaus/Klas (German: originally diminutive forms but have been used as independent given names for centuries)

Nickolaus/Nicolas/Nicolaus/ Niklaus/Nikolaus/Niklas (German)

Nico/Niko (German)

Neikaulaus (Gothic)

Néckel/Kleeschen/Klos (Lexumburgish)

Klaos (Limburgish)

Nikolaas/Nicolaas (Low Saxon)

Nicolai/Nikolai (Norwegian)

Niels (Norwegian)

Nickel (Plattdeutsch)

Michlaus (Swabian)

Niclas/Nicklas/Niklas (Swedish)

Nels/Nils (Swedish)

Klas/Claes (Swedish)

Chlaus/Glaus (Swiss-German)

Germanic feminine forms are:

Nikoline (Danish)

Klasina/Klazina (Dutch)

Nicole (Dutch/English/German: a borrowing from the French, very popular in the 1980s in German-speaking countries, English-speaking countries, as well as in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. In 1980, Nicole was the 7th most popular female name in the United States)

Nicolet (Dutch: a bastardization of the French, Nicolette)

Nicolien/Nicoline (Dutch)

Nicola/Nichola (English: a name that was particularly popular in Great Britain in the 70s and 80s, not to be confused with the masculine versions which are separate evolutions. This is pronounced NIK-uh-lah, and is most likely a feminization of the Scottish Nichol)

The name is of debated origin and meaning but is possibly derived from the Germanic elements ala meaning “other; foreign” and od meaning “riches, wealth.” Other sources list it as a derivative of the Franconian al-ôd meaning “inheritance, estate; property.”

It was also the name of an ancient Nubian kingdom and one of the first kingdoms to become Christian and is the name of a species of aquatic plant, also spelled Elodea.

The name was popularized by a 9th-century Spanish saint who was martyred with her sister Nunilona. In the 1980s, Élodie was very popular in France. In 2000, she ranked as high as # 39, now she only ranks in as the 215th most popular female name in France, (2010). But, she may sound fresh and appealing to anglophone parents; if you are curious as to how to best pronounce this in English, think Melody sans M.

Elodie has had some history of usage in the United States, though very sparse. She appears in the census records as early as the 18th-century; most Elodies seems to have been located in Louisiana, (no surprise there). Other interesting variations which appear in the American census records include: Eloda, Eloida, Elodia, and Elodi.

She appears in the U.S. top 1000 3 times, once in 1881, 1883 and then again in 1886. She has not been seen since.

Other forms of the name include:

Elodi (Basque)

Alòdia (Catalan)

Elodia (Corsican/Spanish)

Elodie(English)

Eloida (English)

Lodi(French: diminutive form)

Alodia (Italian/Polish/Spanish)

Aloida(Latvian)

Alodija/Aliodija (Lithuanian)

Alódia(Portuguese)

The name was borne by Elodie Lawton Mijatović (1825-1908) a British-Serbian author known for her books on Serbian history and culture as well as her prolific works translating books from Serbian-English and English-Serbian. It is also borne by French actress Élodie Bouchez-Bangalter (b.1973), French singer Élodie Frégé (b.1982) and French-Canadian radio personality Élodie (Didi) Gagnon

The name is derived from the Greek male name, Αλεξις (Alexis), which is derived from the Greek element, αλεξω (alexo), meaning, “defender; helper.”

The name was borne by a 3rd-century Greek comic and poet, and by several male saints and five Byzantine emperors.

In its Russian incarnation of Aleksei, it was fairly common among Russian royalty. It was borne by two Russian tsars and by the last Russian crown-prince, Aleksei Romanov.

Currently, in the United States, Alexis ranks in as the 242nd most popular male name, despite this, the name is far more common for females, (even though Alexis is not a legitimate feminine name and should not be considered as such), in fact, it is currently the 26th most popular female name, (2011). In the United States, its usage as a female given name can be traced all the way to the 1940s, when it first entered the U.S. top 1000. Its usage among females is most likely attributed to Canadian actress, Alexis Smith (1921-1993) who was born as Gladys. Its popularity on females, however, might mostly be influenced by the 1980 drama series, Dynasty, in which one of the female leads, played by Joan Collins, was named Alexis.

In other countries, Alexis as a male name is ranked as follows:

# 28 (France, 2010)

# 38 (Alejo, Argentina, 2009)

# 83 (Belgium, 2008)

# 90 (Aleix, Spain, 2010)

Other forms of the name include:

Ales (Basque)

Aleksei/Alexei Алексей (Bulgarian/Russian)

Aleix (Catalan)

Alesiu (Corsican)

Aleksej/Alexej (Czech/Slovak)

Alexis (Danish/English/German/French/Norwegian/Spanish/Swedish)

Aleksi (Finnish)

Aleksis (Finnish)

Aleixo (Galician/Portuguese)

Alexei (German)

Alexios Αλεξιος (Greek)

Elek (Hungarian)

Alessi (Italian: obscure)

Alessio (Italian)

Alexius (Latin/German)

Aleksas (Lithuanian)

Aleksy (Polish)

Alexie (Romanian)

Alexi (Romansch)

Aliesch (Romansch)

Alessiu (Sicilian)

Lezziu (Sicilian)

Alejo (Spanish)

Aleksej (Slovene)

Aleš (Slovene)

Oleksiy Олексій (Ukrainian)

Alyosha and Lyosha are common Russian diminutive forms.

Its feminine forms of Alexaand Alexiaare also rising in popularity, Alexia is currently the 275th most popular feminine name in the United States, (2011), while Alexa comes in as the 55th most popular female name. I shall go into more details in another post. In the meantime, here are other feminine forms

Alexa (English/Hungarian)

Alexia (English/German/Greek/French)

Alessa (Italian)

Alessia (Italian)

Alessina (Italian)

Aleksja (Polish)

Aléxia (Portuguese)

Alexina/Alexine (Scottish)

Common short forms are Alex, Lex and Lexie.

Designated name-days are: February 17 (France), March 17 (Greece), July 17 (Germany) and December 12 (Sweden).

The name is derived from the Latin place name, Caietanus, meaning, “from Caieta”. Caieta is now known as Gaeta.

In ancient Greece, this was a town where prisoners were taken to be executed. The town probably got its name from the wet nurse of Zeus in Greek myth.

It was borne by a 16th-century Italian saint, which spurred the popularity of the name throughout Europe. It has been in usage in German speaking countries as well as in Poland in the form of Kajetan and Cajetan, the name Kajwas later spun off from this name, now being more popular than its formal form in Sweden and Denmark.

As of 2010, its French form of Gaétan was the 122nd most popular male name in France.

The name could be of one or two origins. It could be a Corsican form of Alexandra or it could be a Latinate form of the Greek female name, Lysandra, which is a feminine form of Lysandros Λυσανδρος, which is composed of the Greek elements, λυσις lysis (to release) and ανδρος andros (man).

The name is derived from the Biblical Hebrew male name, יוֹסֵף (Yosef).

In the Old Testament, the name is borne by the first son of Rachel and the eleventh son of Jacob. After being sold off as a slave by his brothers, Joseph ended up in Egypt, later becoming an important advisor to the pharoah.

In the New Testament, it is borne by the husband of the Virgin Mary. Known as St. Joseph among Catholics, he is a particularly revered saint among Italian Catholics, considered the patron saint of stepfathers and carpenters.

Another important character with this name in the New Testament, is Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Christ and also the man who provided a burial spot for Jesus after his death.

The name has always been very prevalent throughout Europe and the Middle East.

In the United States, its popularity can be due to several factors: it was common among both various Christian and Jewish immigrants. The name is even very common among Muslim families.

Currently, Joseph is the 20th most popular male name in the United States, (2010). In fact, Joseph has never ranked outside of the Top 20. Common English nicknames are Joe and Joey. His rankings in other countries are as follows:

# 1 (Yusif, Azerbaijan, 2012)

# 1 (Yusuf, Turkey, 2010)

# 2 (Yusuf, Tajikistan, 2009)

# 2 (Youssef, Tunisia)

# 3 (Yousef, Arab-World, 2011)

# 4 (José, Equitorial Guinea, 2011)

# 5 (Joosep, Estonia, 2011)

# 5 (Isle of Man, 2009)

# 5 (Yousouf, Israel, among Muslim and Christian boys, 2010)

# 5 (José, Philippines, 2011)

# 5 (Jose, Puerto Rico, 2010)

# 7 (Youssef, Morocco)

# 8 (Josip, Croatia, 2010)

# 8 (Yosef, Israel, among Druze boys, 2004)

# 9 (Yosef, Israel, among Jewish boys, 2010)

# 14 (Giuseppe, Italy, 2010)

# 15 (England/Wales, 2010)

# 16 (Joseph/Giuseppe, Malta, 2010)

# 29 (Northern Ireland, 2010)

# 36 (New Zealand, 2010)

# 37 (Ireland, 2010)

# 41 (Australia, NSW, 2010)

# 41 (József, Hungary, 2010)

# 43 (José, Spain, 2010)

# 44 (Scotland, 2010)

# 51 (José, United States, 2010)

# 62 (Josef, Sweden, 2010)

# 68 (Josip, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2010)

# 68 (Josep, Catalonia, 2010)

# 71 (José, Catalonia, 2010)

# 74 (Canada, BC, 2010)

# 149 (France, 2009)

Other forms of the name include:

Josef (Afrikaans)

Isuf (Albanian)

Jozef/Jozif (Albanian:Zef is a diminutive form)

Sepp(Alsatian)

Hovsep Հովսեփ(Armenian)

Yūsuf/Youssef/Yussefيوسف, (Arabic)

Yusif/Yusuf/Usub(Azeri)

Joseba/Josepe(Basque)

Joseph ДЖО́ЗЕФ(Belarusian/English/German/French)

Josip(Bosnian/Croatian:Joso, Jozo and Joško are diminutive forms)

Jusuf(Bosnian)

Yosif Йосиф(Bulgarian)

Josep (Catalan, Pep is a common diminutive form)

Ghjaseppu (Corsican)

Jozèf(Creole/Haitian)

Josef (Czech)

Joep(Dutch: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name)

Joop(Dutch: originally a diminutive form, used as an independent given name)

Joost (Dutch: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name)

Its more common feminine form of Josephine became prevalent throughout Europe at the end of the 18th-century and at the beginning of the 19th-century, due to the popularity of Josephine Bonaparte, (1763-1814), the wife of Napoleon.

Originally, Joséphine was a French diminutive form of Josèphe. Joséphine became the standard form around the same time Josephine Bonaparte became famous and has remained the more common French feminine form of Joseph, since.

Currently, in the United States, she is the 186th most popular female name, (2010). In the Netherlands, she was the 153rd most popular female name, (2010).

Other feminine forms include:

Jozefina(Albanian)

Josepa(Catalan: diminutive is Pepa)

Josipa (Croatian)

Josefa(Czech/Portuguese/Spanish)

Josefina (Czech)

Jozefien(Dutch)

Joetta (English)

Josephina/Josephine(English)

Josefiina (Finnish)

Josée(French)

Josèphe (French)

Joséphine (French)

Josette(French)

Josefine(German/Danish)

Josepha(German)

Iosiphina Ιωσηφίνα(Greek: Modern)

Jozefa (Hungarian/Slovene)

Jósefína (Icelandic)

Seosaimhín (Irish-Gaelic)

Giosetta (Italian)

Giuseppa/Giuseppina (Italian)

Iosephina (Latin)

Ġużeppa(Maltese: Ġuża is the diminutive form)

Józefa(Polish)

Józefina (Polish)

Jožefina/Jožefa/Joža (Slovene)

Jožica(Slovene: originally a diminutive form, now used as an independent given name)